News & Events

DigiCanCon ReportMar 06 2017

The report notes that through both public policy and perception, the government needs to reposition the cultural sector “as an engine of economic growth and innovation in Canada” and that it needs to “create, communicate and promote a strong and identifiable brand for the Canadian cultural sector both at home and abroad.” Given that our members recorded nearly $200 million of music publishing revenues in the most recent year–73 per cent of which came from foreign sources–we couldn’t agree more with this.

In today’s evolving digital landscape, Canadian music publishers welcome the growth of new services and technologies that connect music fans to the songs they love. These changes present a vital opportunity for both songwriters and music publishers to realize the full economic potential of the music they create and promote. At the same time, rights holders deserve to receive fair value for what their music brings to those new technologies and music services and, to do so, they require a well-functioning infrastructure. Our industry is truly dynamic and innovative, one that demonstrates world-wide success. In order to remain so, the need for strong cultural policies, programs, legislation, and regulation is more important than ever.

We would like to thank Minister Joly and Canadian Heritage for undertaking this important consultation. We look forward to the next steps in the process to discuss concrete proposals with the government in the near future by bringing the sector’s significant expertise to assist in reshaping digital content policy.

The report, prepared by Ipsos Public Affairs Canada, presents the findings of the Canadian Content in a Digital World Consultations held between September 13 and November 25, 2016. The report compiles feedback from thousands of Canadians, including citizens, industry associations and stakeholders. The full report can be found here.